


Analyze

by Bubbly_Kandy, vethbernatto



Series: stranger things au [1]
Category: Be More Chill - Iconis/Tracz
Genre: Gen, Inspired by Stranger Things (TV 2016), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Relationship Tags to Be Added - Freeform, Stranger Things AU, Stream of Consciousness, hey look Rich finally wrote his Stranger Things au, theres no relationships tagged because they're twelve, they could care less about how good they look to each other, they're babies that are stressed about the government
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-13
Updated: 2017-11-25
Packaged: 2019-02-01 16:46:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12708921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bubbly_Kandy/pseuds/Bubbly_Kandy, https://archiveofourown.org/users/vethbernatto/pseuds/vethbernatto
Summary: Fifteen tries to analyze more.Analyze environment.Take in anything and everything.Stay safe, stay alive.





	1. Chapter One

Talking. Yelling. Over there, by the trees. Two people, maybe three. All young, around Fifteen’s age. Why are they out here? It’s raining. Cold. Scary.

 

Two hundred, hundred fifty feet away. Close, but not close enough to hear words. Fifteen takes ten, eleven steps. He’s limping. His right ankle is numb. Don’t get caught. Running is not good for his health now. Still not close enough. Five, six more steps. Still muffled. The rain is getting in Fifteen’s eyes, which means that the rain is coming down steadily. Steady rain muffles sounds. Seven, eight feet closer. Words.

 

“Why the hell did you drag us out here?! It’s cold as shit!” This one has a lisp. He sounds older, with a deeper voice. Another cuts in.

 

“Rich, you’re the one who proposed the mission!” One is named Rich. He has a lisp. He sounds older, maybe the oldest of the group. Group leaders are older, propose missions. Logic.

 

A yellow light is aimed towards the ground. What is it? What does it do? 

 

“Guys, I’m freezing. Can we please turn back?” New voice. Three people. This one sounds unsure, unsteady. Deeper than Rich’s, deeper than the other one. Maybe he’s the oldest. But why isn’t the oldest the group leader?

 

Fifteen sits and hides behind a tree, peeking around and watching. One is wearing a bright red hoodie, with the hood up. Good. He’s keeping himself warm, which is important for health. One is shorter than him, and wears a dark… green? Sweatshirt. The hood is down. His hair is wet. Fifteen can’t see the third one. 

 

“Not now, Jake!” Second is named Jake. He sounds older than Rich, but scared. Fifteen can’t see what he looks like. The red hoodie moves, taking two, three, four steps. It bends, and picks something up. The one in the green does the same, and another (He must be the third one) also bends. He isn’t wearing anything warm. Not good. Unsafe. 

 

“Since Rich is being a  _ pussy,  _ I guess we’re turning back.” Red hoodie speaks. His voice is not high, not like Fifteen’s, but higher than Rich or Jake’s. Green sweatshirt goes to tackle him, screaming profanities. Rich is wearing the green hoodie. Fifteen smiles a little. 

 

“Michael, I swear to God!” Red hoodie might be Michael. Then the one not wearing a jacket is Jake. Jake must not care for his health. Why else would he do that? Papa had told Fifteen about those kinds of people. Fifteen is scared of them. The Dark Place is filled with people bleeding, crying-

 

“We are  _ not  _ leaving until we find Dustin!” One screams, voice cracking. Maybe Jake? Fifteen can’t tell. But Fifteen  _ has  _ to tell. He needs to know everything about the situation. And who is Dustin? Is Dustin gone? Too much information. Slow down.  _ Slow down.  _

 

The light sweeps towards Fifteen, making him shy away from sight, kicking away wet dirt and leaves. 

 

“Did you see that?” Oh no. Michael. Michael saw. Michael noticed. Fifteen curls into a ball. His bracelets spark in warning. He claws them off. He’s free of Papa’s hurt.

 

“See what?” Rich saw too. Oh no. Not good. Unsafe. Fifteen is not safe. 

 

“I think it's an animal or something. A dog, maybe.” Michael is good at analyzing. Papa would like Michael. But Michael can’t go to Papa. Papa hurts people. Papa is...

 

Papa is bad.

 

Bright!

 

Fifteen squints through the beam, looking up at Michael. Red hood up. Fifteen can’t see his face.  _ Danger.  _

 

Fifteen tries to stand.

 

Pain!

 

Fifteen cries out, and scrambles away on his hands and feet, his heart racing. He needed-

 

“I’m not gonna hurt you!” Michael says, aiming the bright away from Fifteen. Fifteen stops, looking up at Michael through the rain. Rich is behind him, and so is Jake. Jake is tall. Tall is scary. Michael turns away from Fifteen, harshly arguing with Rich, Jake putting his thoughts in at random times. It’s loud. Fifteen covers his ears. Loud is not good.

 

After  _ 200, 201, 202  _ seconds, Michael turns back to Fifteen. Fifteen looks up at him, blinking the rain out of his eyes.

 

Michael holds out a hand, Fifteen flinching away before mentally scolding himself. 

 

“Do you wanna come with us?” Michael asks. Fifteen focuses on his hand, his own still over his ears.

 

“That’s not creepy at all,” Rich mumbles, and Jake stomps on his foot. Fifteen tries to analyze more. Analyze environment. Take in anything and everything. Stay safe, stay alive. 

 

Michael’s hands aren’t poised to hit him. They’re relaxed, and Michael seems… safe. Not trustworthy, but safe. Right now.

 

Fifteen grabs his hand.


	2. Chapter 2

The boy looked between Rich and Jake who stood in front of him and rapidly threw questions his way, not giving him a chance to talk.

“Are you okay?”

“Is there anybody we can call?”

“Can you talk?”

“Did you run away?”

“Are you hurt?”

“Are you in trouble?”

“Is he deaf?”

“Don't be an dumbass Rich!”

 

Rich clapped his hand in from of the boy's face.

He flinched.

 

“Not deaf.”

“Dude, you're freaking him out!”

“Sorry! I was just making sure.”

 

The boy in question sat cross-legged on the worn couch in Michael's basement, feet tucked tightly under his knees and arms pulled tight around his chest, Michael's red hoodie laying haphazardly across his shoulders. A bandage was wrapped loosely around his right ankle, the three boys deciding that it was good for now.

 

“He's kind of freaking me out.” 

Rich mumbled, 

“You're  _ both _ kinda freaking  _ him  _ out! He's probably just cold.” Michael scolded, moving to grab a pair of sweatpants and an old sweatshirt of his, from the laundry basket, walking back towards the couch. Michael smiled, as he reached out the clothes in his hands for the boy to take.

 

“Here.” The boy blinked, looking at Michael worriedly, before he hesitantly took the clothes from Michael’s outstretched hands. He lifted a soft blue cardigan and rubbed it against his cheek, petting the diamond-shaped patterns on the sleeve. 

 

“Is he serious?” Rich mumbled behind Michael, Jake huffing his agreement. Michael ignored them, only adding,

 

“You can get dressed in these.” The boy stood up slowly, shrugged Michael’s jacket off of his shoulders, and grabbed the hem of the shirt he was wearing. “Wai- no!”

 

“Oh my God!” Jake shrieked, squeezing his eyes shut. Rich covered his eyes before turning on his heel, coughing in surprise. Michael batted the boy’s hands away from the hem, the boy looking confused. 

 

“What the fu- frick?!” Rich yelled, Jake repeating ‘oh my god, oh my god’ under his breath. 

 

“No, no! Not here! Over-” He gestured to the bathroom, the boy following his hand. “There. In the bathroom.” 

 

Michael lead the boy over to the room, motioning him into it and saying,

 

“Just get dressed, then we’ll talk a little bit longer, yeah?” Michael smiled as he moved to close the bathroom door.

 

The boy’s eyes widened, and he moved his arm to stop the door, the limb hitting the wood with a thud.

 

“N-No.”

 

“So… you can talk.” Michael said, a bit happier at the discovery.

 

The boy just nodded holding the borrowed clothes close to his chest.

 

“So… um– you  _ don't _ want me to close the door?”

 

“No.”

 

“Okay. I- Okay, how about… I close it just like,” Michael started closing the door, but kept it open a sliver, so that he and the boy could still see each other. “This.”

 

“Yes.”

 

The boy smiled. It was barely there, but if you looked close enough, you could see the slight ghost of an upturn at the corner of the boy's lips. 

 

Michael smiled back, then turned around to give the boy some privacy. 

 

He was then met with the looks of Jake and Rich, who both had the same ‘oh my god, Michael’s an idiot’ face. Michael looked at both of them, then saying,

 

“What?” 

 

Rich scoffed, walking forward and tugging Michael away from the door. 

 

“Who do you think he is?” 

 

“Huh?”

 

“Him!” Jake pointed towards the door, where he could see the boy moving around. “Do you think he’s an escapee?” 

 

“A what?” Michael was still confused. 

 

“From Greystone or something. He might be-” Jake trailed off, only lifting his pointer finger to his temple and making small circles with it. 

 

“He could be messed up in his head!” Rich added. “It could be why he-” he then pantomimed taking off the large shirt the boy had been wearing, accidently knocking off his glasses. He knelt and picked them up as Michael got what they were talking about. 

 

“No! He’s not a criminal!” 

 

“How do you know?” Jake asked, Rich checking to see if his glasses were broken.

 

“I- I just do, okay?” Michael ended lamely, his cheeks red with emotion.

 

“Oh, please. He could be a- I dunno, serial killer or something! He’s crazy!” 

 

“Which is why he went-” Rich pantomimed taking the shirt off again, Jake nodding. Michael stomped his foot, feeling extremely childish. 

 

“I’m gonna let him sleep here tonight, whether you like it or not!” 

 

“Are you crazy?!” Rich hissed. Michael threw his hands up in defeat.

 

“Maybe! But-” he took a deep, calming breath. “He’s scared, can’t you see that?”

 

“I’m gonna tell your mom.” Jake said decisively. He started to walk up the stairs, but Michael tugged on his shirt, making him almost fall down the steps. “What the hell?!” 

 

“Don’t! We’ll get in trouble if we told our parents where we found him. If we tell Thomas-” 

 

“Oh God,” Rich whispered, his eyes flickering around. 

 

“Look. Tomorrow, I’ll have him go outside, and ring the doorbell. My mom’ll answer the door, and she’ll know what to do, yeah?” 

 

Jake shrugged. Michael continued.

 

“Then, once we have that all done, we go back there and find Dustin.” 

 

The two other boys hesitated, but then nodded.

 

“Okay.” 

\---

Later, Michael was alone with the boy, setting up a pillow fort for him to sleep in. 

 

“Is that good?” Michael asked, puffing up another pillow and setting it down. The boy nodded.

 

“Yes.” He moved from his spot by the couch and sat inside, Michael kneeling in front of him. 

 

“Uh- what’s your name?” Michael asked next, the boy slightly changing his blank face to look confused. “Do you- do you have a name?” 

 

The boy slowly pushed the sleeve of his cardigan to show the three little black numbers of 015 on the inside of his left wrist.

 

“Woah! Is that real?” Michael asked, moving to grab his arm. The boy flinched back, quickly bringing his left wrist to his chest and leaning away. Michael’s hand retreated, realizing his mistake. “S-sorry, I’ve just never seen a kid with a tattoo before.” 

 

The boy looked curious. His gaze went to the inside of Michael’s wrist, Michael pushing the sleeve up to show a tattoo-free wrist. 

 

“What does Fifteen mean? Why do you have it?” Michael asked next. The boy looked at him with a expression of ‘Don’t you know?’ “Also, what’s your name? I need to know what-” 

 

The boy pointed at his wrist, then to himself, then again to his wrist.

 

“...Fifteen? Is your name Fifteen?” 

 

The boy- Fifteen- nodded. Michael’s eyebrows furrowed. 

 

“But you're a human, not a number.” Fifteen’s eyes widened at the sentence, and he looked nearly offended. “My mama has a bunch of names in a book, you wanna see them?” 

 

Fifteen didn’t answer, but his eyes flickered to the bookshelf. Michael stood and walked to the bookshelf, mumbling quietly to himself as he ran a finger across the spines of the books, before stopping, and pulling one from the shelf.

 

“Here.” He smiled, kneeling in front of Fifteen and opening the book, and setting it in front of him. “You can pick out a name if you want.” 

 

Fifteen sat and flipped through the pages of the book slowly, running his finger along the list of names as he read.

 

“Oh. I never told you my name. I'm Michael, but you can call me, Mike or Mikey if you want to.” 

 

Michael smiled and chuckled under his breath as Fifteen muttered a small, 'mikey,’ before his finger stopping on a name and he looked up towards Michael.

 

“Jeremiah? I like it! Only… it's kind of long why don't we shorten it to... Jeremy?” Michael asked

  
“Jeremy,” Fifteen–  _ Jeremy _ whispered, although it was more so that he was speaking to himself rather than Michael. “Jeremy.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I, Jake, wrote the majority of this chapter but Rich helped too because I suck at writing quickly

**Author's Note:**

> Hoo HOO if you're in the Discord or if you follow me on Tumblr you know whats coming
> 
> I'm so happy to see so many Stranger Things AU's in this fandom!! I'm gonna kinda stick to the original plot of Stranger Things, but I'm also gonna try and put my own spin to things, with help from Jake, or Lostspace!
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this!!!


End file.
